Drapery hardware

ABSTRACT

Drapery hardware for mounting a curtain, including a support means and curtain coupling means extending therefrom to be coupled with, alternately, the peaks and troughs of a pleat in the curtain. The invention can be performed by either a single rail, track or pole with a specialised coupler or a dual track system.

THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF INTERNATIONAL PATENT APPLICATIONPCT/GB2007/001310, FILED APR. 5, 2007, WHICH CLAIMS PRIORITY OF UKPATENT APPLICATION NO. 0607213.6 FILED APR. 10, 2006 AND UK PATENTAPPLICATION NO. 0615373.8 FILED AUG. 2,2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drapery hardware, particularly railingsupon which curtains or drapes hang.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The two most common types of curtain arrangement over a window in adomestic situation utilise either a rail with a number of sliders eachattached to an edge of the curtain or a pole threaded through a seriesof grommets. Curtains are usually then arranged to have a plurality ofpleats when hanging from the rail or pole.

Maintaining consistent pleats when drawing a curtain across the windowis sometimes a problem. It is desirable to have an aestheticallypleasing appearance, i.e. a regular spacing of pleats.

Proposed solutions to the problem of irregular pleating include the useof a tape sewn across the back of a curtain in a pleated state, or usingplastic tabs to extend from one eyelet to another, providing aspacing/limiting function.

Both of these solutions involve an additional operation to be performedduring manufacture of the curtain and are a permanent part of thecurtain. Furthermore, these solutions are not particularly suited foruse with existing curtains in a home.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first broad aspect of the invention there is provided draperyhardware for mounting a curtain, including a support means and curtaincoupling means extending therefrom to be coupled with, alternately, thepeaks and troughs of a pleat in the curtain.

This broad intention of the invention, to achieve the result ofconsistent pleats, can be realised in several different ways. The firstinvolves arranging two supports (e.g. rails, tracks, poles orcombinations thereof in parallel) with sliding curtain couplers in each,and alternately connecting a curtain to a coupler from each support atthe peaks and troughs of a pleat.

In other words, in a second broad aspect of the present invention thereis provided drapery hardware consisting of a first and second curtainsupport (e.g. rail, track or pole) adapted to receive a curtain couplingmeans such that the curtain is coupled alternately to both the first andsecond curtain support.

Preferably the first and second curtain supports are fixed together inspaced relation. However, in one form the first and second curtainsupports may be spaced apart by an adjustable means to increase ordecrease the gap between them.

Preferably the first and second support may be two parallel curtainrails or a curtain rail and a curtain pole.

The second broad aspect also translates to a method of installing acurtain, including:

-   -   installing a first curtain support and a second curtain support        parallel with the first;    -   installing a curtain on the supports via coupling means        alternately between the first and second supports.

It will be clear that this method can be modified to retrofit anexisting curtain support by incorporating a second support in paralleland then hanging a curtain alternately between both.

A second way of achieving the broad intention of consistent pleatsinvolves providing a single support rail with specialised couplers thatextend out in alternate directions to connect to a curtain at peaks andtroughs of the pleat.

Accordingly in a third broad aspect of the present invention there isprovided drapery hardware consisting of a main support (e.g. rail, trackor pole) adapted to receive a plurality of curtain coupling means,wherein a curtain coupling means extends from the support in analternate direction from an adjacent curtain coupling means.

The main support need only be of a conventional design, however, thecurtain coupling means will include an extended strut protrudingoutwardly from its hanging axis (and, in use, generally perpendicularlyfrom the longitudinal axis of the main support), with a connector meansat its distal end for coupling with a curtain.

Accordingly, adjacent curtain coupling means are alternatively arrangedto extend in the opposite outward (preferably perpendicular) directionfrom each other relative to the support.

Preferably each curtain coupling means is slidably mounted on/in themain support. The connector means for attaching to a curtain may be aclip, ringlet or other suitable mechanism.

In one form the curtain coupling means may be linked together by aspacing element. The spacing element may be flexible or rigid.

The resultant curtain appearance according to the invention is a pleatedconstruction that, in plan view, zigzags between the curtain couplingmeans. The curtain will then have more consistent pleats in the drawnposition and be packed more compactly and neatly in the un-drawnposition, letting more light into a room.

A curtain installed according to the invention also moves more freely(i.e. is easier to draw) than a conventionally installed curtain of thesame weight, because it effectively has twice as many connection pointsto the curtain support. This extra support corresponds to less forcerequired to move the curtain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an end elevation view of drapery hardware according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of drawn and un-drawn curtains from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front and back elevation view respectively according to thefirst embodiment;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are end elevation views of drapery hardware according tofurther embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a spacing system for use with theinvention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the spacing system from FIG. 7 installedin a rail;

FIG. 9 is a general view of an embodiment according to the third aspectof the invention;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of components of a curtain coupler accordingto the third aspect;

FIG. 11 is an end elevation view of the coupler from FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a general view of a further embodiment according to the thirdaspect of the invention;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of components of a curtain coupler accordingto the third aspect;

FIG. 14 is an end elevation view of the coupler from FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a general view of a further embodiment according to the thirdaspect of the invention;

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of components of a curtain coupler accordingto the third aspect;

FIG. 17 is an end elevation view of the coupler from FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a general view of a further embodiment according to the thirdaspect of the invention;

FIG. 19 is an exploded view of components of two curtain couplersaccording to the third aspect;

FIG. 20 is an end elevation view of the couplers from FIG. 19;

FIGS. 21 to 24 illustrate alternative slider designs for use with theinvention;

FIG. 25 illustrates alternative back slider designs;

FIG. 26 illustrates a back slider in place similar to FIG. 8;

FIG. 27 illustrates an improved slider design for use in the embodimentof FIGS. 9 to 20;

FIG. 28 illustrates a pleat spacing means for use with the invention;and

FIG. 29 illustrates a rail spacing means for use with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The basic principle of the invention is best shown by FIG. 2. A pair ofcurtain supports, pole 11 and rail 12, are arranged in parallel againsta wall (usually above a window in a building). A curtain 13 is arrangedto be coupled alternatively between the pole 11 (via rings 21) and rail12 (via gliders 15) to provide a zigzag plan view. Coupling to supports11 and 12 controls both the front and rear side of the pleats in curtain13.

Throughout the description, the curtain arrangement is described aseither a “zigzag” shape or with “peaks and troughs”. These areinterchangeable and simply refer to the pleated nature desirable incurtains.

In FIG. 1 the curtain coupler is a slider 15 that includes a choice ofholes 15 a and 15 b for coupling (via a conventional hook element, notshown) to the curtain. These holes correspond to the thickness of pole11. In a standard 16-19 mm pole the upper hole 15 a would be used. In astandard 28 mm pole, the lower hole 15 b would be used. These ensurethat the curtain pleats are evenly connected at the same height betweenthe first and second supports.

Slider 15 also includes a bead control cord lock 15 c at its distal end.As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 this receives a bead cord 26 that performs aspacing function for the pleat. Spacing in this way further improves theconsistency of pleat desired by the invention.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate alternative embodiments of the double railsystem for use in hanging a curtain according to the invention. In FIG.4 slider 15 includes a clip 15 d at its distal end for connection to acurtain. Jutting from a rear side of slider 15 is a cord lock 15 c sothat, when a bead cord is installed (like FIGS. 2 and 3) it will beneatly hidden from view behind the curtain.

A similar arrangement of slider is seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.

With reference to FIG. 6 in particular, further improvements to thisembodiment include mounting it directly to a ceiling (rather thanattached by bracket 19 to wall W), and installing a lighting effect.

The slim profile of the embodiment of FIG. 6, when installed with acurtain, makes the curtain appear to be almost “floating” as only thethin edge 1 la is visible from most positions in a room.

FIG. 7 illustrates a “twist & lock” spacing element that can beinstalled with a rail 12 (FIG. 8) in a sideways (compared to downward ofthe previous Figures) facing position on a wall. The spacing element 30can be introduced to a slot 14 in rail 12 and then twisted to prevent itfrom being withdrawn out of the slot 14.

Bead cord 26 then maintains element 30 at regular spacing as shown inFIG. 8.

FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate an embodiment of the invention that uses only asingle rail, in contrast to the dual parallel rails describedhereinbefore.

Rail 31 includes a slot 32 to receive a curtain coupling element 33 inthe usual way. The functionality of the invention is found in thecoupler element 33 itself. As best shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, coupler 33is a slider design with a head 34 adapted to engage and be maintainedwithin slot 32, a downwardly extending body 35 and a perpendicularlyextending strut 36. At a distal end of strut 36 is a connector means 37,which may be a clip or simply a hole to receive a hook or other curtainconnector known in the art.

It will appreciated that strut 36 may not be exactly perpendicular, solong as it generally extends outwardly from the hanging axis.

A bead lock 38 is found at the body end of strut 36 to receive a beadcord 26 thereby performing a spacing function.

When installed for use the peaks P and troughs T of a curtain 13 arealternately connected by a coupler 33 to the rail 31. This maintainscurtain 13 in a pleated state with regular height (defined by the lengthof strut 36) and width (by virtue of bead cord 26).

Rail 31 can be of conventional design or with new features or shapes.

FIGS. 12 to 14 illustrate a similar embodiment of rail/coupler to FIGS.9 to 11 except that the spacing means is internal to the rail 31 (andhidden out of view).

In this embodiment a rigid spacing element 39 slides within a clip 40 ontop of head 34 of coupler 33. A stop 41 at a distal end of element 39catches on the clip 40 of an adjacent coupler 33 to prevent furthermovement. In this way, when the curtains are “open” (tightly bunchedpleats) the spacing elements 39 are stacked in a staggered manner butexpand to a fully extended spacing as illustrated in FIG. 12 when thecurtain 13 is drawn closed.

The construction of such a spacer system is well known in the art ofvertical blinds. It has the advantage over a bead cord of being hiddenwithin rail 31, although it would also be possible to hide a bead cordarrangement within rail 31 (by mounting a bead lock on head 34) toachieve a similar result.

FIGS. 15 to 17 illustrate an alternative embodiment wherein the rail 31has a triangular cross section shape. Otherwise the sliding movement ofcouplers 33 within slot 32 is the same as previously described.

As shown in FIG. 15 a bead cord 26 spans alternate couplers 33 whichhave a bead lock 38 at a distal end of the strut 36. This ensures thebead cord is kept toward the rear of the curtain only and more hiddenfrom view compared to FIG. 9.

Coupler 33 can be dimensioned to fit within existing rails or modifiedto operate with poles. For example, head 34 can be replaced by a ring tobe threaded onto a curtain pole.

FIGS. 18 to 20 show a further embodiment featuring a triangular rail 31and sliding spacer elements 39 as in FIG. 12. It otherwise operated inthe same way.

FIGS. 21 to 24 show alternative forms of slider 15. Generally each(rear) slider includes a “G-shaped” bead lock 15 d that allows a beadcord 26 to be installed from the side, as opposed to threaded through akey hole 15 c as illustrated in earlier embodiments (e.g. FIG. 1). Thisallows for additional versatility in the installation process. Sliders15 still include a hole 15 a for receiving a curtain hook 42.

The various rail types are illustrated in FIGS. 21 to 24, including the“C and J” style side mounted tracks in FIG. 24, which is also detailedin FIG. 26. FIG. 26 is equivalent to FIG. 8 except that it includes aback slider 43 (performing function of spacing element 30 in FIG. 8)with a G-shape bead lock 15 d.

Referring to FIG. 25 a, slider 43 is arranged to slide freely on track12 and the slider in FIG. 25 b is arranged to clip into the back of thetrack 12.

FIG. 27 illustrates a slider for use with the “single rail” embodimentshown by FIGS. 9 to 20. It was found that using a single configurationof slider (e.g. as in FIG. 10) was unsatisfactory because the connectormeans 37 would be visible from the front side of the curtain 13 wheninstalled either side of a pleat. To address this FIG. 27 shows a swanneck glider that extends in a (returning) curve to a position behind thecurtain when installed. As such, the connector means 37 and curtain hook(42) are all attached to one side of the curtain only. This attachmentside is not visible from within the room where the curtain is installed.

In use, alternate sliders (e.g. as in FIG. 10 and FIG. 27 respectively)cooperate to improve the appearance of the installed curtain.

It may be possible to utilise a conventional slider alternately with aspecialised slider (FIG. 10 or 27) of the invention to achieve thepleated effect of the invention. In this way only every second sliderextends laterally from the support means (rail 31). However, thisarrangement may result in unbalanced stresses on the coupling means.

FIG. 28 illustrates a general view of a pleat spacing mechanism 44. Thisis a scissor type collapsible structure that controls the curtain pleatsto be of identical size as a curtain is drawn. The scissor typemechanism is preferably coupled to a glider 33 which is in turn coupledto the curtain 13.

FIG. 29 shows one example of an arrangement to adjust the spacingbetween support rails 11, 12. This requires bridging pieces 25 pivotedat each end. Such an arrangement works best when the rails are of thesame type (as opposed to a pole and rail as in FIG. 2), but anycombination is possible.

All components are made from available materials and processes. Railsand poles are usually of a metal (or for poles—wood) construction.Sliders are injection moulded for economy from plastics.

The present invention provides an elegant solution to the problem ofuntidy, inconsistent pleats in curtains mounted on rails, tracks, polesor anything similar.

It should be noted that a significant unforeseen advantage of theinvention is that curtains draw more easily when they have double thehanging connection points of conventional designs. As such, thedisadvantage of heavy fabric curtains (being “heavy” and resistant tobeing drawn) is mitigated.

A method of installing or retrofitting curtains to achieve the result ofthe invention will be readily apparent to a skilled man when consultingthe foregoing description. Existing curtains may need to be fitted withadditional fixing points for a slider (coupler) but otherwise can beretrofitted quite easily.

1. Drapery hardware for mounting a pleated curtain, including a supportmeans and curtain coupling means extending therefrom adapted to coupleto both the peaks and the troughs of pleats in the curtain.
 2. Thedrapery hardware of claim 1, wherein the coupling means couples to thecurtain alternately between peaks and troughs.
 3. The drapery hardwareof claim 1, wherein the support means is a first and second curtainsupport each adapted to receive the curtain coupling means.
 4. Thedrapery hardware of claim 1, wherein the support means is a rail, trackor pole or combination thereof.
 5. The drapery hardware of claim 3,wherein the first and second curtain supports are fixed in spaced-apartrelation.
 6. The drapery hardware of claim 3, wherein the first andsecond curtain supports are spaced apart by an adjustable means toincrease or decrease the gap between them.
 7. The drapery hardware ofclaim 1, wherein the support means is a single rail, track or poleadapted to receive a plurality of curtain coupling means, each extendingto couple to the peaks and the troughs of pleats in the curtain.
 8. Thedrapery hardware of claim 1, further comprising a pleat spacing means.9. The drapery hardware of claim 8, wherein the pleat spacing means is ascissor type structure associated with the coupling means.
 10. A draperyhardware according to claim 1, further including a curtain coupled tothe coupling means at both peaks and troughs of pleats in the curtain.11. A curtain coupling means including a coupler to couple with acurtain support and a strut extending outwardly from its hanging axis,with a connector at a distal end of the strut for coupling with acurtain.
 12. The curtain coupling means of claim 11, wherein the coupleris a slider or grommet to couple with a rail, track or pole.
 13. Thecurtain coupling means of claim 11, wherein the distal end of the struthas a return or curve back section to enable it to connect with the backof a curtain.
 14. A method of installing a curtain, comprising:installing a first curtain support and a second curtain support parallelwith the first; and installing a curtain on the supports via couplingmeans alternately between the first and second supports.
 15. A method ofinstalling a curtain according to the method of claim 14, wherein thefirst curtain support is already in place.